Retirement Thoughts

We’re travelling, this week, to see our grandchildren and most of their parents. 🙂

I love our grandchildren and that is why I’ll never post their pictures here. I’ve worked with computers and internet systems enough to know how much trouble it can get children into. There are scary people out there and I’ll do everything I can to protect our little ones! I’ll share their pictures with family only.

So, onto a different “retirement thought”. Maybe it’s because my husband and I spend 24/7 together that my thoughts occasionally turn to “What if I was in an accident or something happened to me while I am away from him?” It usually comes up when I’m walking the beach alone or running an errand alone or eat breakfast in the motel alone because I woke up too early and couldn’t stand to lay there any longer and it’s too early to wake him up with hair dryer noises. It’s not that I dwell on the thought of death or violence or being a victim. I just quickly think, “Do I have ID on me so someone will know who to call? Do I have my wedding band on so he can ID my body if it is othewise unrecognizable? Will he recognize the earrings I have on (that I’ve worn everyday for the last 3 months)? Should I wake him up just to tell him I’m leaving the room so he can sleep; after I’ve been careful not to wake him up with so much as a light to get dressed by? I’ll just take my phone, and if the wrong stars DO align, it will be of use. If he DOES wake up before I return AND I am gone long enough that he begins to worry, he can call me.” The few times that I’ve been gone for a walk on the beach long enough that he’s called me, I haven’t had a cell signal. So the phone is actually a win-win (for me). I get points for taking it but my peaceful walk is not interrupted by his schedule. 🙂 just kidding dear!

Anywho…you may wonder why the picture of the moving sidewalks we used in the airports? Well, they reminded me of life and death. If you have a life of service you’ll be ready for the next life. If you don’t know what “service” is, ask a mother; she is always serving her family. I believe that service is how we learn to love as Christ loves. I don’t believe the love or service will stop when we die. Maybe service will actually be more of a way-of-life? Death of our mortal body is just a transition to the next life. We, rightfully, cling to life so that we can learn as much as we can and as much as God knows we need.

Service is like the moving sidewalk. We get on the sidewalk when we do or say something kind to someone. The more we serve others, starting with our family members, the faster we are moving on the sidewalk. We can either walk or stand on the moving sidewalk. Either way we are getting closer to the goal. If we make service a constant in our life (walking or running on the sidewalk), the scope of our love will grow. I think that, like getting to the end of the moving sidewalk when you are walking propels you, our service and what we’ve learned from it will make what comes next feel natural.

So, if you haven’t gotten on the sidewalk, say something kind to someone today. Or smile at someone or do something kind for someone.

Moving Sidewalks

I am grateful for the love our children have for their children and all that they do for them each and every day. I am grateful for our parents who show by example how to serve and love their families and friends. And I am grateful for my sweet (and sassy) husband and cannot imagine spending this much time with anyone else.